shotgun johnny, the frontier forty

I watched a robot conduct the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on an evening news broadcast not to long ago.  ASIMO (the Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility for short), a robot built by Honda, was conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday May 13, 2008.  My fear and overwhelming discomfort with this ASIMO character goes back to its first commercial where the lovable hunk of nuts and bolts strolls out into its front yard to retrieve, presumably, its morning paper before its weekly weekday commute.  The only thing it was missing that morning was the little towel around its waist.  The only thing I seem to be missing however is some form of general acceptance that the rest of you seem to have.

Perhaps my discomfort stems from an early, and an unfortunate introduction to Terminator 2.  I say that it was an unfortunate introduction because it has effected me in such way that for me to live a single day without the thought of our impending doom coursing through my very being is not only not possible, but sadly, it has become apart of me.  I say that it was an early introduction to Terminator 2 because my father took my brother and I to see the film when it was first released in theaters in 1991.  I was 11 and my brother was 7.5.  Say what you will in regards to the appropriateness or inappropriateness in taking the two of us to a film such as Terminator 2 at such an early age for I am unclear as to the circumstances leading up to this particular father and son(s) bonding event, perhaps no one knows.  Perhaps it was my idea, perhaps my brothers.  Perhaps we both got what we deserved after, possibly, begging our father in unison to take us to Terminator 2 in spite of how young we were.  Perhaps my father, a devote science-fiction junky by choice and a ballistic engineer by trade, just wanted to take his two boys to see a movie about stuff blowing other stuff up.  Where is the harm in that?  It’s just a movie; pure fiction, right?

The scene that started it all for me, when speaking of the harm of seeing pure fiction effect my understanding of non-fiction, was when the T-1000, who was in the kitchen disguised as the adoptive mother, signals to ‘her’ husband, who is off camera, to be quiet by putting up ‘her’ hand in the generally accepted hand gesture that most woman use when wanting to silence the men around them without having to actually say, “Be quiet.”  After this sudden and awkward silence, we realize as the camera pans to our right that it was not a mere hand gesture at all.  It was, in all actuality, ‘her’ arm shape-shifting into a giant sword like design that went through the milk carton that the husband was about to drink out of, through his mouth, and out the back of his head.  A trait I’m sure most woman would love to have, and one that all men are glad that they do not.  I am serious when I say that I was afraid of the toaster for close to a month after that.  Honestly, if it was in the kitchen, and metal, than I was afraid of it for most of my early teenage years.  As for cereal, it has been a very long time since I’ve truly been able to enjoy the snapping, crackling, and popping within the vicinity of women and milk.

Since my teenage years I have come to accept the kitchen as nothing more than the room, or space, where food is prepared.  However, since those early formative years over a decade ago, certain events have resurrected the fears that once rested so deeply within.  You could say that my overwhelming fear and paranoia has grown up a bit, become more adult if you will.

Recently I completed a voluntary four year stint in the United States Navy.  I was attached to the USS Nevada SSBN 733.  The SSBN tells those who know that the USS Nevada 733 is a ballistic submarine.  For you laymen, there are ballistic submarines, referred to as “boomers,” and then there are fast attack submarines, which are referred to as “fast attacks.”  Fast attack submarines are smaller, faster, and do stuff while going to different places.  Boomers are bigger, slower, and don’t go anywhere let alone do anything, God willing of course.

When I say that they “are bigger, slower, and don’t go anywhere let alone do anything, God willing of course,” I am speaking of the mission of a boomer submarine.  The whole reason boomers exist in the first place is to be nuclear deterrents.  Our mission was, and still is for those still serving, to “swim” around in the ocean, remain undetected, and in the event an established superpower or even some rogue nation decide to launch a nuclear warhead at America, then each of the however many boomers underway would and could unleash the wrath of a full scale retaliation by launching one or more of their nuclear missiles onboard with an unimaginable force.  I feel it important to state very clearly that I am unclear as to the amount and level of information that I am allowed to share with you.  It is important that you also understand that I do not know everything.  However, with all that I am unable to discuss with you, and with all that I do not understand, know that of all the topics of conversation that I can speak on, and even for those that I cannot, Cyberdyne being onboard ballistic submarines (boomer submarines), in particular the USS Nevada SSBN 733, is one of those topics I feel it necessary to speak to you about now, regardless of the consequence.  If you’ve seen the movie than you already know how bad it could get.

The Cyberdyne Systems Corporation, for those of you who remember, and for those that do not, “… is the fictional company depicted in The Terminator films, as well as various novels and comic books all taking place in the Terminator universe … In the Terminator universe’s original timeline, an undisclosed series of events leads to Cyberdyne’s development of Skynet … Skynet, a network of supercomputers that employ artificial intelligence in order to replace human beings as commercial and military aircraft pilots, and for the control of other military systems, including nuclear missiles.  The system went online on August 4, 1997.  On August 29, 1997 (Judgment Day), Skynet became self-aware.  In a panic, humans attempted to shut it down, and Skynet retaliated by launching a nuclear attack against Russia, knowing that the Russian counterattack would eliminate its enemies in the U.S., initiating an indeterminately long period of global warfare.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberdyne_Systems)

During the average three month deployment, one would become very familiar with their surroundings (both the individuals and the inanimate) whether they wanted to or not.  For me, it was the little black boxes mounted throughout the submarine with multiple cables spreading in every which direction that caught my eye.  What was it about a little black box that caught my eye you ask?  Why it was the manufacturer of that little black box that caught my eye.  The manufacturer of that little black box is both frightening and true.  The manufacture was none other than Cyberdyne.

In the beginning, starring face to face with Cyberdyne was comical.  The sheer fact that someone would name their company after Cyberdyne was hilarious to me.  Sure, there was the chance that it was an established company prior to the movies release, but I’ve done the research, this particular Cyberdyne was not an established company prior to the release of the Terminator universe.  Either they knew nothing of the Terminator universe in the first place which is odd in and of its self, or their sense of humor is at such an advance stage that they can make jokes company picnics such as, “Cyberdyne, your friendly contributor to the demise of mankind.”

The military has a way of hiding what it doesn’t want you to know by not really hiding it at all.  For example, those little black boxes that caught my eye, they seemed harmless enough.  It was a small black device roughly measuring 6’’ x 4’’ x 2’’ with uppercase lettering reading very clearly, CYBERDYNE.  Only, CYBERDYNE was written upside-down, unlike anything else onboard.  In the event of an emergency onboard a submarine and you are told to either turn something on or to turn something off, it is vital that A) you know what they are talking about, and B) that it is clearly marked in the event that you are only 98% sure as to which lever to pull.  They wanted to hide the little black boxes by not really hiding them at all.  Another trick one might employ when trying to hide anything out of the ordinary, is to show what they intend to hide by showing it in large, obsequious quantities.  Within three feet of any one ‘box,’ was another brandishing the same upside-down uppercase white lettering, reading, CYBERDYNE.

Sadly, as time passed, things became less comical with Cyberdyne, the Nevada, and the Navy.  Once, while venting my frustrations with a fellow watch-stander (the DIVE), I made mention of those little black boxes and how they directly relate, be it coincidence or not, to the Terminator universe.  I talked to great length about how we are taking stories from, all be them fictitious, very violent premonitions of our own future as a society (i.e., Terminator 2), and re-creating them in our very real and non-fictional lives.  He asked if I knew what they were for, and I told him that, in fact I had no idea to what their actual purpose was or is onboard our or any submarine.  So, he told me.

Those little black boxes were recording.  They were recording everything within the submarine.  A boomer, as it pertains to this day and age, thanks greatly to the end of the Cold War of course, has since acquired a variety of small, silly, tedious tasks outside of its grand design to perform during the average patrol.  Again, due to a high level of uncertainty as to what and how much I am at liberty to discuss, I will try and keep it simple.  The little black boxes, as stated, and as told to me by the DIVE, were there recording everything inside the boat (submariners refer to their submarines as ‘boats’ in spite of the actual definition of a boat).  One of those “small, silly, tedious tasks” boomers perform is recording every sound we can as it relates to the sounds around us, as well as our own sound signature in the water.  Sound transients, as they are called in the industry, are essentially how submarines detect what is around them by “seeing” with sound.  Due to intense sea pressure at depths I am unable to discuss, windows are not an option for a “clearer” view of the depths and surroundings in which they travel.  So, the relevance as to what, if any noise each submarine is making is a valid one.  However, recording the inside?  In addition to the little black boxes are separate listening devices whose purpose it is to record the sounds of the machinery within the hull of the submarine, an understandable transient that needs recording for no other reason than the safety of the submarine, but what is Cyberdyne recording, the crew?  For what purpose would Cyberdyne need to record the on goings of a bunch of guys who operate a submarine?  The content of these conversations varies of course.  Some are about their families and some are about their friends.  Some are appropriate, others, not so much.  Sometimes though, the “salty” onboard are imparting the wisdoms that they have learned onto the “fresh fish.”  Years of experience and technical knowledge being passed from the experienced to the not-so-experienced with the hope that the next generation of submariners will be as able bodied, and able in mind, to carry on the tradition as well as the mission.

My hypothesis as to why Cyberdyne would want to record the day to day gripe sessions of a submarine crew is about as simple as their end result is complicated.  Let me make very clear that I know of no known relationship between Honda and Cyberdyne.  What I do know however, is that both Honda and Cyberdyne want the same thing.  They both want Artificial Intelligence.

ASIMOs display in Detroit was nothing more than a slap in the face.  For one thing, it was a Honda in what was once the proud car manufacturing capitol of America, but more importantly, it was a machine leading humans.  A machine that was in a position that not only gave it power and control over those like you and I, but also one that’s effect would affect those influenced by the musicians, namely, the audience.  It is my humble opinion that ASIMO was nothing more than a glorified metronome that night.  Unfortunately though, should Honda get their way, ASIMO will not only be able to lead the string section of any Philharmonic to a more heart felt and compassionate crescendo, but also, in time, construct extremely painful ways of killing human beings.

First though, Honda and Cyberdyne have to jump the Artificial Intelligence hurdle.  What better way is there than to simply record human beings in a particular environment who just so happen to specialize in succeeding in that said environment.  Once recorded and studied, logarithms and abstract theories are constructed to give the computer, or supercomputer, the ability to recreate the same accomplishments as a human being.  All of that work, wasted on building praise for machines.

The same course of action was taken when first creating the chess game for the computer.  Brilliant men and woman studied the world’s best chess players, arguably the most advanced game created by humans, and they recorded everything.  How the pieces move, the colors, and most importantly, the theory.  Then, with all the tests complete, and all the data collected (or extracted) from the unsuspecting humans, a series of programs were written for the computer that enabled it to play against its maker while also creating the very visual of the very game being played with the option of a low, medium, or high level of difficulty.  I have beat Toby, my Toshiba laptop, only once, and that was on the lowest setting, its lowest setting.  I am in no way a great chess player by any means, but I certainly won’t be trying to play Toby on his highest setting just for the fun of it either.  I do not want to give him the satisfaction.  For now, that ability is still in my control.

The newest Class of submarines, the Virginia Class, has become so auto-mated (as it pertains to the Ships Control Party), that the only reason a human is there at all is for display.  The computer can drive a submarine a lot like computers drive cars using cruise control.  The once time honored skill of taking control and dominating the sea, of not letting the sea push you around, essentially the essence of being a sailor, has been given so unforgettably to a machine.  In your own day to day, TomTom and other navigational GPS systems lead you from point A to point B dictating the future turn by turn.  Now, the number of you who actually need these devices to navigate the high-ways and by-ways that you’ve been operating within for years far out way the weary traveler lost in a new city.  It is my opinion that those of you treating this technological gluttony as some kind of earned right as a consumer, or as an American, or as a human being, is again, my opinion, simply unforgivable.  What you are doing in addition too getting to where you need to be, is you are teaching ‘the computer’ all the back roads and alleyways you take, that we take, when we leave wherever we are to wherever we are going.  When it comes time for the machines to hunt us down, they will be able to do so with greater ease because not only do they know where we are, but more importantly, they will know how to get there.

Cell phones and credit cards have those little microchips that tell this supercomputer in the sky what we sound like and what we spend our money on.  TIVO monitors our viewing habits, makes notes as to what colors, sounds, and characters it will need to first hypnotize us and then instruct us to follow it’s every command.

Far fetched, maybe, but when you go to www.cyberdyne.jp/english/robotsuithal/index.html you will see HAL.  Yes, I said HAL.  Those familiar with HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey fame will immediately associate with the foolish implications of naming there project after such a character as HAL.  Rest easy my friends, this isn’t that HAL.  As if proving without a shadow of a doubt that what Terminator 2 prophesized is coming true, this HAL, the Hybrid Assistive Limb, by none other than Cyberdyne goes one step further.  Go to the webpage.  It shows a late twenty-something, possibly a thirty year old Japanese man wearing what appears to be a “cyborg-type robot that can expand and improve physical capability…”  That is taken straight from their website as the description of what HALs intended purpose is, and the visual it conveys to me, is the initial first step Cyberdyne took in the “fictitious” Terminator universe when they began exploring the technology within “the arm” of the Terminator.   

Nothing that I have written is untrue.  A bit grandiose at times, sure, but the point that begs to be made is that, as a society, and even as individuals, is that we are becoming increasingly more dependent on being dependent of machines to live our lives, to dictate our lives.  I’m not free from the chains that bind either; I too use cruise control and spell check.  I also don’t remember the last time I called an established company and spoke to a human operator and not some automated system.  Some of the more established companies actually have the automated answering service that can actually understand spoken word.  I can count, on one hand, how many times I’ve gone to a grocery store and actually dealt with a human cashier.  Since the start of 2008 I have had four human cashiers to the how ever many machines I’ve had “check me out.”  So many stores offer this “self check-out” line for items totaling less than twenty individual items that I wonder if anyone actually works there at all.  If you can teach a machine to take my money and give back correct change, if you can teach a machine to fly aircrafts (Air Force) and operate submarines (Navy), than you can certainly teach them to stock the selves and mop the floor of the local grocery store.

Sometimes we were forced into these changes, and sometimes we have asked for it, but no matter how you look at it, change has always been in our control.  Whether or not we have chosen wisely though remains to be seen.  Unfortunately, that’s something we can never know until the decision in question has long been made.  I would also argue that, in light of all that I’ve come to understand about life be it from actually living it or from film is that we are dangerously close to losing that control.  Before we know it, ‘it’ will take over as the Helm and we will be forced to be mere passengers onboard the ship that we not only built, but subsequently played the lead role in giving the keys to the machines.

After I was told about the little black boxes, I was speechless.  Silenced by all I didn’t know, and more, what I didn’t want to know any more about.  That patrol eventually came to an end and the Nevada went into its scheduled maintenance period and work was performed.  Some routine, some because it was needed earlier than expected, and some because systems had become obsolete and required removal.  As with any maintenance period, the need to paint was high on the “to do list” of the command, so, while I was painting a gauge mount in missile compartment second level, port side, aft of the supply office, I noticed a shop worker removing one of the little black boxes.  With him was a bag over his left shoulder that was full of at least three other black boxes.  When I asked why he was removing them he answered, “I don’t know.  They told me to remove all of them, so that’s what I’m doing.”

If in fact those little black boxes are used, were used rather, to listen to the machinery onboard, why take them out and offer no replacement?  After all, the need for boomer submarines is still present, isn’t it?  I myself went on at least two other patrols after they were removed.  Since being Honorably Discharged in March of 2008 I have heard no news agency reporting the end of the need for a military super power.  I have not heard them report on peace sweeping across the globe, on how countries, big and small have buried the hatchet, turned the other check if you will, and abolished the need for nuclear weapons.  Perhaps Cyberdyne had finally reached the unreachable, Artificial Intelligence.  How else would they have known that we had been talking about them?

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